Athletics agent Kim McDonald, who looked after the careers of many top runners including Ireland's Sonia O Sullivan, has been found dead in Australia. McDonald had guided O'Sullivan to the 1995 World 5,000 metres title and helped her to win an Olympic silver medal last year.
The IAAF said in a statement that the British agent had died on Wednesday in a Brisbane apartment but his body was not found until Saturday. He had gone to Australia for a holiday and to prepare his training camp there for the start of the winter season. IAAF president Lamine Diack, who had recently nominated McDonald as his special adviser, described his death as "tragic news".
The 45-year-old had fostered the careers of many leading athletes including Kenyan Moses Kiptanui, the three times world steeplechase champion. "I am devastated. It's unbelievable. This is more than I can take," said Kiptanui. Olympic 1,500 metres champion Noah Ngeny paid an emotional tribute to McDonald. "He brought me from zero to what I am today. I owe all my success to him. He was a father figure to me. How dearly we will all miss him."
Although McDonald was a competent athlete in his youth, he was outshone by more talented contemporaries like Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe. He turned to coaching, making his name with stars such as Peter Elliott, the former world indoor record holder over 1,500 metres.
Filed by Greg McKevitt
